Gender and Socialization

Learning Plan
Lesson No: 2

Lesson Title: Gender and Socialization

Let’s Hit These:

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
 Define the interrelationships of Gender and Socialization
 Compare how Ruth Hartley’s four processes affects in a child’s learning of
gender identity.
 Create an Essay composed of 350-650 words about “How Socialization affects
the Gender identity of a person”.

Let’s Get Started:

GENDER and SOCIALIZATION, use each letter to make a word or phrase that describes the
gender identity of a person. The first one was given as an example.

G – Great Personality S
E O
N C
D and I
E A
R L
I
Z
A
T
I
O
N

Let’s Find Out:

Construct a paragraph using the words or phrases from GENDER and SOCIALIZATION.

Let’s Read:
The previous chapter showed how changing social conditions influence gender. This chapter will deal
with the socialization mechanisms that maintain gender in our society.

Child-Rearing
"Gendering," or the socialization of persons into a given gender, begins the moment a child is born.
Almost the first thing people want to know about a baby is: "Boy or girl?" Hospitals and middle-class
parents emphasize the difference; dressing girl babies in pink and boy babies in blue, and friends' and
relatives' responses to the baby take their cue from this color code.
Ruth Hartley notes four processes involved in a child's learning of gender identity. From most cases
these processes are performed unconsciously by those nearest the child: they are seen as "natural"
reactions to the child's sex. The child, too, learns from them unconsciously, and the learning is all the
more powerful for this.
The first process, manipulation simply means that people handle girls and boys differently, even as
infants. One study in the West, for instance, showed that a sample of mothers tended to use more
physical and visual stimulation on male infants, and more verbal stimulation on female infants. In our
own experience, we might notice that boy babies are tossed into the air more often than girl babies,
who get more delicate handling.

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 Gender and Socialization

The second process, canalization means that people direct children’s' attention to gender-appropriate
objects. The most common example of this is the choice of toys. Little boys are given war toys, cars
and machines that they can take apart or put together; little girls are given dolls, sets and toy houses.
These toys teach children early on what their prescribed roles in life will be, and serve to familiarize
them with the tools of their trade.
The third process, verbal appellation. consists in telling children what they are (e.g., "brave boy" or
"pretty girl") or what is expected of them ("Boys don't cry," "Girls don't hit their playmates, Boys
don't hit girls [but other boys are fair game] The fourth process, activity exposure ensures that
children are familiarized with gender-appropriate tasks: for instance, in our culture, girls are expected
and encouraged to help their mothers with housework and the care of younger siblings, while their
brothers are encouraged to play or work outside the home.
This series of processes enables children to identify which gender their parents think they should
belong to, and to acquire the corresponding behavior and roles. Quite early, before the age of three,
children develop a clear and often irreversible gender identity; and this is reinforced through their
identification with parents of the same sex, as well as through later interaction with children with the
same gender identity.
The rites and myths of puberty, marking the passage from the learning of gender roles to their actual
performance, also convey messages to girls and boys about their under. In our culture, circumcision is
the first rite of manhood; it tests the boy's courage and ability to endure pain. It is often referred to as
a baptism [binyag], signaling the boy's rebirth into his adult role. Another baptism is considered to
have taken place with the boy's (or young man's) first experience of sexual intercourse. In both cases,
the passage to manhood is often a conscious choice — the boys' ask for circumcision, or seek out or
agree to a sexual encounter — and a matter of pride.
A girl, on the other hand, is not baptized into womanhood. No conscious choice is involved; the
turning point, menstruation, simply happens to her. Once it has, she is warned "Now you are a
woman, you must be more careful" (sometimes without explaining what she is to be careful about).
She is also subjected to numerous regulations: not to take baths, not to wander about. Menstruation is
treated as dirty and embarrassing. One myth has it that men can tell by a woman's smell whether she
is menstruating or not, and this implies she should stay away from them until she is clean again. Thus,
a girl learns to associate her passage into woman hood with shame, the fear of men, and additional
restrictions on her behavior.

Institutions of Mass Socialization

Institutions of mass socialization — those which aim to ensure that whole groups of people consent to
and fit into the existing social order — also play an important role in promoting the dominant gender
ideology and inequality. In our contemporary society, four institutions are crucial: formal education,
the mass media, religion, and language.

A. Formal Education
By current statistics, one might conclude that Philippine formal education is as accessible to females
as to males. Girls and boys are found in almost equal proportion in elementary and secondary
education; women outnumber men in institutions of tertiary and higher education. Filipino girls and
women also have consistently tower repetition and dropout rates than their male counterparts, and half
as likely to fail."
However, a closer look at parents' attitudes to women's education, and at the education system itself,
shows far more gender differentiation and far less equality than at first appears. A common parental
attitude towards higher education for women is that, it is not very useful, since women will probably
get married and stay home. The same attitude is at work in some of the most prestigious institutions of
higher education, which impose lower quotas and higher grade-point averages for women than for
men in admissions and in highly technical courses such as law, medicine and engineering.
The education system itself is authoritarian in orientation, with learning occurring largely as a transfer
of knowledge from teacher to student. Discipline and obedience are important components in this
pseudo-learning process. Thus, girls' superior performance might be at least partly attributable to their
greater propensity for the passive behavior which teachers consider right conduct. In a 1987

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 Gender and Socialization

consultation on Women and Education, teachers admitted imposing different standards of discipline
on boys than on girls, who were expected to be better-behaved.
Sex-segregated schools, or exclusive schools as they are euphemistically called, are the rule for the
upper classes; these are mostly run by religious congregations. The principle behind sex-segregated
schools is that women and men have different roles in life, therefore the education they require is
different. Another philosophy behind sex segregation in education, though less openly admitted, is
that females and males must be protected from each other until they are of marriageable age. (One
graduate of a sex-segregated school notes, however, that segregation may in fact work for female
students to a certain extent, since it removes them from exposure to discrimination and the pressure to
underachieve in order to be less threatening to male classmates).
Sex segregation inside the coeducational schoolroom is also a common practice; graduates of such
schools remember a form of disciplinary action in which unruly little girls are made to sit with the
boys, and vice-versa.
Schools and teachers also channel boys and girls towards gender-appropriate behavior and activities.
High schools used to teach boys carpentry and electronics, and girls, cooking, typing and child care.
The content of textbooks and visual aids reinforces gender stereotypes, with females portrayed
primarily as mothers and well-behaved little girls, and males primarily as workers and adventurous
little boys. No wonder then that in tertiary institutions, girls opt for training that suits their perceived
roles and characteristics as women — such as secretarial courses, nursing and education — while
boys choose more technical courses such as engineering."

B. Mass Media
Print media (newspapers, magazines, komiks), broadcast media (radio and television) and films carry
the same gender stereotypes as school textbooks, and more. A recent study on the images of women in
mass media found that women in magazines, comic books, radio and television dramas, and films are
shown as housewives or worse, emotionally dependent martyrs and victims or scheming and sly
villainesses. The usual goal of both good and bad women alike is to catch or keep a man, and whole
plots revolve around how this goal is frustrated or achieved. Men have more positive images: they are
shown as courageous, principled, determined and assertive; but they are also portrayed as violent and
destructive.
The same study found that most of the news contained in newspapers was about men. Women, when
they did appear, particularly in the tabloids targeting the working class, were often victims of rape or
sexual molestation."
Advertising uses gender imagery to get people to buy products; in so doing, it also convinces people
to buy the prevalent gender ideology. Females are shown as home-bound wives, mothers or daughters
whose greatest joy is to feed their families, keep their houses clean, see sons, husbands and fathers off
to work, and welcome them back from the trials of the world. They also appear as sexy come-ons to
specific male-oriented products, such as alcoholic drinks and cigarettes. Males are shown engaged in
sports, professions, wars, camaraderie with other men, or the conquest of women."

C. Religion
As earlier mentioned, most dominant religions teach that gender differentiation and inequality are
ordained by God. This teaching is conveyed not just in doctrine or in a male-dominated religious
hierarchy, but also in sacred symbolism. Filipino Catholic marriage rites, for instance, do not just bid
brides to be good housewives, obedient to their husbands, but illustrate the proper position of wives
by putting a veil over their heads and pinning it on their husbands' shoulders. Until Vatican Il,
Catholic women were instructed to cover their heads in church. Mary, the model of Catholic women,
is depicted as "ever-virgin," meek and self-sacrificing. Muslim fundamentalists practice purdah, or the
seclusion of women, and insist that no woman venture into the public eye unless she is covered from
head to foot. Ancient Jewish tradition forbids women from entering the synagogue, the main place of
religious worship and instruction.

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 Gender and Socialization

D. Language
Language is perhaps the most subtle and pervasive institution of socialization, since we use it every
day, not just in communicating but in the very act of thinking. It is a primary mediator in our
relationship with the world. Thus, sexist language is a powerful tool for the maintenance of gender
ideology.
The English language, which has gendered nouns and pronouns, is a case in point: it uses the word
"man" to refer to humankind, and the pronoun "he" to any abstract individual. While defenders of
common usage insist that the terms thus used are generic, or meant to refer to both men and women,
the image that such terms create in the minds of the users, readers or listeners is distinctly masculine
— particularly for children, who have difficulty distinguishing between literal and figurative
meanings. This perpetuates the idea of men as the main social players, and the invisibility of women.
The range of derogatory words in English which refer exclusively to women is wider than that of
words denigrating men, and common phrases, such as the reference to a weak or timid person as
"having no balls," unconsciously put down women.
Most Filipino languages are more fortunate in that these do not have gendered pronoun or terms for
many positions: asawa may refer to a male or female spouse, kapatid to a male or female sibling.
However, they do have terms which perpetuate gender stereotypes: maybahay ("the one who has the
house"), for instance, means a wife, never a husband. Like the English language, Filipino languages
also use phrases which denigrate women. "no balls" has its own equivalent (walang bayag);
competition is described as "seeing who can piss higher" (pataasan ng ihi), a feat for which women
are not physically equipped; a wife who knows nothing about housework is contemptuously branded a
"pussy-wife" (asawang-puki), as though her sole value to her husband resided in her genitals.

Let’s Do This:
I. True or False: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is wrong.
____________1. "Gendering," or the socialization of persons into a given gender, begins the moment
a child is socialized.
____________2. Hospitals and middle-class parents emphasize the difference; dressing girl babies in
pink and boy babies in blue, and friends' and relatives' responses to the baby take their cue from this
color code.
____________3. One study in the West, for instance, showed that a sample of mothers tended to use
more verbal stimulation on male infants, and more physical and visual stimulation on female infants.
____________4. The third process, canalization means that people direct children’s' attention to
gender-appropriate objects.
____________5. These toys teach children early on what their prescribed roles in life will be, and
serve to familiarize them with the tools of their trade.
____________6. In our culture, girls are expected and encouraged to help their mothers with
housework and the care of younger siblings, while their brothers are encouraged to play or work
outside the home.
____________7. Quite early, before the age of thirteen, children develop a clear and often irreversible
gender identity.
____________8. In our culture, circumcision is the first rite of adulthood.
____________9. A girl, on the other hand, is also baptized into womanhood.
____________10. Menstruation signals the womanhood of a girl.
____________11. One myth has it that men can tell by a woman's smell whether she is menstruating
or not, and this implies she should stay away from them until she is clean again.
____________12. Filipino men have consistently tower repetition and dropout rates than their female
or woman counterparts, and half as likely to fail."
____________13. Most dominant religions don’t teach that gender differentiation and inequality are
ordained by God.
____________14. Language is perhaps the most subtle and pervasive institution of Gendering, since
we use it every day, not just in communicating but in the very act of thinking.

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 Gender and Socialization

____________15. Most Filipino languages are less fortunate in that these do not have gendered
pronoun or terms for many positions: asawa may refer to a male or female spouse, kapatid to a male
or female sibling.

II. Using the Venn Diagram describe the interrelationships of Gender and
Socialization.

Concepts of Concepts of
Gender Socialization
Interrelationships of
Gender and
Socialization

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 Gender and Socialization

III. Using a Graphic Organizer, conceptualize how Ruth Hartley’s four processes
affects in a child’s learning of gender identity.

Manipulation

Child’s
Canalization Activity
Gender
Exposure
Identity

Verbal

IV. Create an Essay composed of 350-650 words about “How Socialization affects the
Gender identity of a person”.

Suggested Readings:
Gender and Society: A Discussion of Issues on the Relations Between Women and Men by
Elizabeth U. Eviota, Editor

Module Post Test:

Read the following essay. At the end, write a 2 paragraph reactions or comments.
Ang Pantasya ni Eba
Masaya at maayos ang buhay sa bayan ng Kagawasan. Ang babae ay kilos babae, at ang lalaki, kilos
lalaki; nasa tamang lugar ang lahat. Bagamat pantay-pantay ang pagtingin nila sa kababaihan at

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 Gender and Socialization

katalakihan, hindi sila naniniwala sa mga makabagong pananaw na pareho dapat ang kilos, ugali at
papel ng babae at lalaki sa lipunan.
Babae ang Pangulo ng Kagawasan. Babae rin ang mga opisyal na nasa mahalagang posisyon ng
gabinete, tulad ng Kagawaran ng Patakarang Pangkabuhayan, Tanggulang Pambansa, Pananalapi,
Industriya at Kalakal. Babae ang mga sundalo, ang mga negosyante, ang mga kaparian ng simbahan.
Babae ang mga manggagawa, magsasaka, mangingisda, at propesyonal.
Nararapat lamang ito, dahil iyan ang papel na itinakda ng Diyos-Ina para sa mga babae. Kaya nga't
biniyayaan ng Diyos-Ina ang kababaihan ng Kagawasan ng mga katangiang angkop sa kanilang
pananagutan sa lipunan: ang matalas na isip at kakayahang magpasiya, ang lakas at katatagan ng
kalooban, ang lakas ng katawan.
Ang mga lalaki naman ang mga maybahay. Sila ang nagaalaga ng mga anak: tutal, may likas silang
katangiang mapagmahal at mapag-aruga. Sila rin ang biniyayaan ng mga kamay na mas may
resistansya sa init, kung kaya't mahuhusay silang magluto. Kasiyahan nila ang pagsilbihan ang
kanilang mga asawa at anak. Bagama't hindi sila kumikita sa ganitong klaseng gawain,
sinusuportahan naman sila ng kanilang asawa bilang kapalit sa kanilang serbisyo. Kinikilala rin
naman ng lipunan ang kanilang mahalagang kontribusyon: sila ang tinaguriang "ilaw ng tahanan" at
taon-taon binibigyan sila ng bulaklak tuwing Araw ng mga Ama.
Ang ganitong pagkakahati ng trabaho sa lipunan, at ang pagkakaiba ng likas na pag-uugali ng babae at
lalaki, ay alinsunod sa pagkakaiba ng kanilang mga katawan. Tanda ng lakas at katatagan ng
kababaihan ang kanilang kakayahang magdala ng bata sa kanyang sinapupunan, at tiisin ang sakit at
hirap ng pagluluwal nito. Ang kanilang papel bilang mga manggagawa sa lipunan ay nakabatay rin
dito, at sa kanilang kakayahang magpasuso sa mga bata; hindi ba't ang panganganak, at ang
pagkakaroon ng gatas para sa anak, ay isang uri rin ng produksyon?
Pati ang anyo ng kanilang aring pangreproduksyon ay naaayon sa kanilang papel bilang manggagawa,
mangangasiwa, at tagapagpasiya sa lipunan. Ang ari ng babae ay nakatago, kung kaya't hindi
madaling masaling; malaya siyang nakagagalaw. Papaloob ang direksyon nito, ang sagisag ng
kanyang kakayahang pagmuni- munihan ang mga bagay-bagay at magbigay ng mahusay na
kapasiyahan. Sa pagtatalik, ang ari niya ang sumasakop sa ari ng lalaki, sagisag din ng kanyang
pananagutang sakupin ang mundo. Gayon din ang posisyon sa pagtatalik na nakapagbibigay sa kanya
ng higit na kasiyahan: siya ang nangingibabaw sa lalaki tulad ng pangingibabaw niya sa kalikasan.
Samantala, dahil walang kakayahan ang lalaking magdalantao at magpasuso, at dahil ang babae na
ang nagsusugal ng buhay sa panganganak, makatarungan lamang na sa kalalakihan na ipaubaya ang
pag-aalaga at pagpapalaki sa mga anak. Bukod pa rito, nalilimitahan ang kanilang mga galaw ng
kanilang ari: di tulad ng sa babae, nakalawit ito at madaling mabasag. Kung kaya't kailangang
pakaingatan sila, huwag masyadong palabasin ng bahay, dahil kung may mangyari sa kanilang ari,
paano na ang pagpapatuloy ng lahi? Kita rin naman sa kanilang ari ang kakulangan nila ng kakayahan
sa mahalagang pagpapasiya: dahil nakalabas ito, may kababawan silang mag-isip at hindi gaanong
magaling magtago ng mga sekreto. Kung kaya't nababagay silang magpasiya tungkol sa mga bagay na
hindi na dapat pagkaabalahan pa ng mga babae, tulad ng kulay ng kurtina. Gayon din, ang posisyon
nila sa pagtatalik ang nagpapakita kung ano ang papel nila sa lipunan: sila ang nakatihaya,
naghihintay habang tinatrabaho ng asawa. Dahil sa akto ng pagtatalik napapaloob ang kanilang ari sa
ari ng babae, laging sinasabi sa kanila kapag sila'y ikinasal: "Magpasakop kayo sa inyong mga asawa”
Sa Kagawasan, isang masayang pangyayari ang pagkakaroon ng anak na babae:” Hayan,” wika ng
mga ina, "may magdadala na ng pangalan ko.” At nangangarap na sila sa pagiging Pangulo balang
araw ng kanilang anak. Masaya rin sana ang pagkakaroon ng anak na lalaki, dahil magkakaroon rin ng
isa pang katulong sa gawaing bahay ang mga ama; ngunit kung bakit napapaluha ang mga ama kapag
nakitang lalaki ang kanilang mga supling, at naibibigkas ang:” Heto na ang İsa pang pambayad sa
kasalanan!”

References/Sources:

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 Gender and Socialization

Gender and Society: A Discussion of Issues on the Relations Between Women and
Men by Elizabeth U. Eviota, Editor

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